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Wisconsin in the Civil War '' ^ 



Report of the "Commission for the purpose of de- 
vising a plan to provide for the preparation of 
the History of the Wisconsin Soldiers in the 
Civil War," acting under the provisions of 
Chapter 298, Laws of 1905 



MADISON, WIS. 
Published by the State 

1907 



EEPOKT OF THE ^'COMMISSION FOR THE PURPOSE 
OF DEVISING A PLAN TO PROVIDE FOR THE PREP- 
ARATION OF THE HISTORY OF WISCONSIN SOL- 
DIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR," ACTING UNDER THE 
PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 298, LAWS OF 1905. 



To the Honomhle, the Legislature of Wisconsin: 

The imdersigTied, members of the commission directed by chap- 
ter 298, Laws of 1905, to recommend to the legislature of 1907 
**a plan for the preparation of the history of Wisconsin soldiers- 
in the civil war, ' ' beg leave to report as follows : 

The preamble to the leg-islative act calling the commission into 
existence reads: 

"Whereas, The history' of Wisconsin soldiers in the civil war 
is one of which every citizen of the state is justly proud; and 

"Whereas, It is necessary to make some provision for record- 
ing [the] same while many of the actors therein are living." 

This preamble sufficiently explains and justifies the end sought 
to be obtained, and makes further introductory unessential. 

The general object of the commission being to suggest methods 
of reviving and emphasizing popular as well as permanent seho) 
arly interest in Wisconsin's part in the civil war, four lines ftf 
work are deemed of importance to promote this result: 

First, the reprinting of rare published materials, and public 
tion of contemporary manuscripts. 

Second, the stimulation of research and publication among th« 
younger generation of students. 

Third, the calling out of meritorious personal reeolleetions>. 
or company and regimental histories, by survivors of the war. 

Fourth, as an outgrowth of the foregoing, provision for schol- 
arly monographs and papers based upon the material seeuredf 



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by the above methods, and still further by the collections already 
existing in the great library of the State Historical Society, held 
by that corporation in trust for the state, and in the official 
archives of the state. 

I. 

i 

J 

; PUBLICATION OF RARE AND CONTEMPORARY MATERIAL 

Following is a list of Wisconsin regimental histories of the 
civil war period, so far as known at the State Hisftorieal Library, 
which has a supposedly complete file — the very rare items being 
indicated by a * : 

History of the Third Regiment of Wis. Vet. Vol. Infantr}', 1861-65. 
By Edwin E. Bryant. 1891. 174-i45p. 8 = 

History of the Services of the Third Battery, Wisconsin Light Artillery. 
Compiled by H. H. G. Bradt. [1902]. lOip. 18 ° 

♦History and Catalogue of the Fourth Regiment Wisconsin [Cavalry] 

Volunteers, 1861-1864. 71p. 8 = 

*The Army of the Potomac; Behind the Scenes. A diary of unwritten 
History. [5th Wis. Vols.] By Alfred L. Castleman, 1863. 288p. 
12° 

*Pour Years in the Army of the Potomac [5th Wis. Vols.] Bv Maj. 
Jones [1882]. 246p. 8° 

*History of the 6th Wisconsin Battery. Bv H. S. Keene. 1879. 65p. 
12° 

Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers. By Rufus R. Dawes. 
1890. 330p. 8 o 

Echoes of the Civil War as I Hear Them. By Michael H. Pitch. [Record 
of service in the 6th and 21st Wis. Vols.] 368p. 12° 

The Eagle Regiment, 8th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers. Bv a '"Non- 
Vet" of Co. "H" [J. M. Williams]. 1890. 166p. 8° 

♦Opening of the Mississippi; or, Two Years' Campaigning in the South- 
West, bv a non-commissioned officer [George W. Driggs]. [8th Wis. 
Inf.]. 1864. 149p. 8° 

Reminiscences of the War. By J. H. Greene, Capt. Co. F, 8th (Eagle) 
Wis. Reg. Inf. 1886. 87p. 8° 

♦History of the 11th Wis. Vet. Vol. Inf. Compiled and pub. by J. J. 
McMyler. 1865. 93p. 8° 

Story of the Service of Co. E and of the Twelfth Wis. Vol. Reg. in the 
War of the Rebellion. Written by one of the boys [H. W. Rood]. 
1893. 547p. 8° 



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From Y> u.h to Age. Adventures in a Varied Life. By D. B. Lovejoy. 
[Inck.iing History of the 13th Wis. Vol. Inf.] 1894. 272p. 12 ° 

*War Pictures. Experiences and Observations of a Chaplain in the 
U.S. Army. By Rev. J. B. Rogers, chaplain of the lith Wis. Vols. 
1863. -iSSp. 12° 

Det Fentenmde Regiment Wisconsin Frivillige [15th Wis. Vols.]. O. A. 
Buslett. [1895]. 696p. 12° 

Borgerkrigen i de Forende Stater. By J. A. Enander. [15th Wis. Reg.]. 

1881. 128p. 12 ° 

*Det Skandinaviske regiments historie [15th Wis. Reg.]. By J. A. John- 
son. 1869. 161p. 12° 

A Soldier of the Cumberland. Memoir of Mead Holmes Jr., Sergeant of 
Co. K, 21st Reg. Wis. Vols. By his father. [1864]. 240p. 16° 

*The Star Corps; or, Notes of an Army Chaplain during Sherman's Fa- 
mous "March to the Sea." Rev. G. S. Bradley, chaplain 22nd Wis. 
1^65. 304p. 12 c 

The Diary of a Private Soldier. The Exact Copy of a Record Kept Day 
by Day during the Civil War by Henry P. Whipple, late a private in 
the Twenty-ninth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Transcribed in 
1906. Waterloo, Wis. [1906]. 80p. 8° 

*A Diary of the Thirteenth Regiment Wis. Vols. A History of the 
Regiment since its Organization. 18G4. llOp. 16° 

The Thirty -sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, 1st Brigade 2nd Div. 
2nd Army Corps. James M. Aubrey. [1900] 430p. 8° 

The Sword and Gun: a History of the .^7th Wis. Vol. Inf. By Maj. 
R. C. Eden. 1865. 120p. 16 = 

Battle Fields and Camp Fires of the .38th (Wis. Vols.) By Lieut. S. W. 
Pierce. 1866. 254p. 12° 

Very miieli of this printed material concerning Wisconsin's 
part in the civil war is still unknown, beyond a limited circle 
of collectors. No doubt a reprinting of the rarest publications 
above listed would do much to stimulate interest among the old 
soldiers themselves, many of whom are not aware even of the 
existence of these works, and doubtless would lead to the prepar- 
ation of histories of those regiments not already represented. 

There is also in the State Historical Library a considerable 
mass of material in the form of contemporary newspaper clip- 
pings, all of it permanently mounted, and much of it admirably 
cla.vsified and indexed. The principal items of this character 
are: Ten large folio volumes, with a manuscript index to each 
vn|;;me, containing the eontemporaiy correspondence (1861-65) 
of Wisconsin soldiers at the front, chiefly published in their 



-^6 — 

liome papers, and arranged by regiments — this collection having 
been made while the war was in progress by E. B. Qiiiner for 
his Military History of Wisconsin (Chicago, 1866) ; several simi- 
lar volumes of Wisconsin war clippings, collected by other per- 
^sons, and not classified — one of these on the Iron Brigade ; three 
folio volumes containing a supposedly complete collection of 
contemporary^ rosters of Wisconsin volunteers (1861-65), clas- 
sified by the different arms of the sei^vice. 

There is also in the library a large collection of newspaper 
articles of later years, chiefly reminiscences by participants, rela- 
tive to Wisconsin men and their achievements in the war. In 
addition to all of these original sources, bearing specifically on 
Wisconsin's record, the library possesses one of the largest 
and best selected collections in the United States of the general 
literature of the war, including state and governmental publi- 
cations, much of it containing at least incidental references to 
the services rendered by Wisconsin troops. 

The library contains, as well, considerable manuscript material 
of service to Wisconsin historians of the war, such as enlistment 
rolls, copies of military orders, muster-rolls, reports, commis- 
sions, etc.. and several narrations of specific events and of regi- 
ments. Without attempting a formal list, the following may be 
especially mentioned : two diaries and other material from Gov. 
C. C. Washburn ; the papers of Brigade-Surgeon C. B. Chapman 
of Madison : letters and other documents obtained by Rev. D. 
Love while writing his Wisconsin in the Rebellion (Chicago, 
1866) ; diaries of George Fairfield and others; six large volumes 
containing the records of persons liable for militaiy duty in. 
nearly all the counties of Wisconsin ; and with these, papers 
dealing with the draft. 

There is also a very considerable mass of important material 
in the official archives of the state, at the capitol, bearing upon 
the administrative side of Wisconsin's participation in the war. 
The correspondence of the governor's office during that period 
is filed and arranged for reference, much of it classified. There 
are, as well, valuable records in the vaults of the secretary of 
state, and in the care of the adjutant general— but many of the 
best documents formerly in the latter department, including en- 
listment papers, were destroyed by the fire of 1904. 

In the foregoing collections of manuscript and printed sources, 
and official archives, there is much that might, with judicious se- 



— 7 — 

lection and editing, now be published and reprinted. In the pres- 
ent undertaking, such publications would seem to be highly desir- 
able, from the interest they would arouse, and the information 
th-ey would bring to light. Especially would the personal contem- 
poraiy acounts written to home papers from camps at the front, 
while the war was still in progress and the impressions of the 
writers were vivid, be extremely valuable in bringing to the 
younger generation of the state some realization of the campaigns 
and battles of the war. A series of such reprints should be of 
great service as well to the cause of historical study. 

While the selection of material for such proposed publications 
may properly rest in some special board or commission like the 
present, the editing and proof-readirig thereof might well be 
left to the care of the State Historical Society, which is not only 
amply qualified for such service but would be glad, if given 
necessary legislative warrant, to undertake the same, in its ca- 
pacity as trustee of the state. 



II 

STIMULATION OP RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION 

It is important that interest should be aroused in the rising 
generation of our state, concerning the deeds of Wisconsin troops 
during the war for the preservation ol the Union. A careful 
study of that great struggle would stimulate their love of coun- 
try, and their appreciation of those splendid self-sacrifices for 
the nation which were made by the state's volunteers. It has 
been seen that the state has in its possession rich collections of 
original material which could through publication be made more 
accessible to students of this special period of its history. If 
provision should also be made by the state for printing carefully- 
selected and meritorious essays and papers upon Wisconsin's 
part in the war, it is to be hoped that private bounty might 
afford the necessary means for assisting students who have par- 
ticular ability or qualifications for such investigation. 

The same admirable spirit that induces our state to mark the 
battlefields whereon Wisconsin troops achieved honor, may well 
be extended to this proposed movement for encouraging our 
youth, through historical reading and investigation, to realize 



and vitalize Wisconsin's important work in the civil war, and 
thereby awaken within them that same degree of civic patriotism 
which led their forebears to undertake the task and endure the 
sacrifices of the long and bitter struggle for national unity. 

III. 

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS 

Many of the active participants in the war are still among us. 
Each of them has personal knowledge of at least some battles,, 
campaigns, or other phases of life and work in the Union anny. 
This larg>e fund of personal recollections, which is drawn upon, 
so freely at reminiscent "camp-fires" of the veterans, has in 
our state been but little utilized by students of history. It has 
been pointed out that much less than a half of Wisconsin 's regi- 
ments have as yet found their historians. Obviously no scheme 
of publication by the state should fail to include such meritorious 
personal recollections or company or regimental histories by sur- 
vivors of the war, as may be called out in the proposed move- 
ment for reviving popular interest in Wisconsin's war record. 

IV. 

MONOGRAPHS AND FORMAL HISTORIES 

The proper outcome of existing collections of contemporary 
manuscript and printed sources in the State Historical Library, 
and in the official archives of the state, supplemented by special' 
studies of students in our schools and colleges, the personal 
recollections of survivors, and company and regimental histories, 
would be the preparation of monographs and formal histories 
by persons trained to and skilled in historical research. 
So far as is consonant with the proper functions of the state, 
finished works of this character should, when particularly 
worthy, receive encouragement. 

There are many features of Wisconsin's participation in the 
civil war, outside of battles and campaigns, that deserve expert 
monographic treatment, and original material for which would 
seem to be already fairly abundant. The financial aid rendered 



— 9— 

by the commonwealth, the methods of raising the first levies and 
transforming militia companies into active-service volunteers, the 
organization and history of the commissary, medical, and trans- 
portation departments, the chaplain service, the conduct of state 
camps, sanitary and relief committees — each of these, and many 
other interests, are fit subjects for skilled historical treatment. 
Not until these special phases of the subject have been ade- 
quately studied, can the real history be written of Wisconsin's 
share in the great war. 

The members of your commission are of the opinion that a 
great public service of enduring influence for good can be exer- 
cised by the state in undertaking in a careful and judicious 
manner the work herein outlined. 

Upon the presentation of this report, the powers of the present 
commission cease by limitation. It remains for the legislature to 
take ^ich further action in the premises as may in its judgment 
seem advisable. 
February 5, 1907. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Charles E. Estabrook, 

Chairman, 
J. 0. Davidson, 
Frederick J. Turner, 
Reuben G. Thwaites, 
Henry E. Legler, 

Secretary. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




